Dorian, our priest, had asked us to deliver the sermon on the Sunday after we returned from our trip. The Gospel message was about feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, so very appropriate to our mission. In preparation for the sermon, the five of us read the passage (in London Heathrow airport), agreed to each aim for 4 minutes of material, and decided the order in which we would speak. We then went off on our separate ways to compose the content. Come Sunday morning, I think we were all curious about how our segments would fit together. Thanks again to the Holy Spirit, it came together beautifully.
One of our parishioners is a poet and a professor at ASU. She inspired me to try my hand at writing some poems about Rwanda (Thanks Sally!). This is one of three poems I read for my segment of the sermon this morning.
Rwanda
Land of a thousand hills
Verdant beauty
It should be paradise
Fallen people
Atrocities unimaginable
Yet, a spark of hope
Living God's grace
Striving to heal, to be whole
One language
One history
One country
One people
We will, with God's help
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Dear Becky, Jill, Jeanne, Barbara and Sara...
ReplyDeleteTonight has been the first moment I've had to read and to see your journey, through your eyes, since we parted company that fair day in Kenya on what surely seems like only yesterday
My own project initially complete, I am resting at the Fairview..."The Beacon on the Hill"...before leaving for London to see my daughter, Adam and my family for a few days before heading back to Arizona to rejoin Karin in our life together
in no small measure, I believe that all journeys to the field are very much a personal experience and typically there is an awakening or an enlightenment if you will - not only with regard to the unbelievable abundance you have at home but moreover how so many people that make do with so little
For my part, I've never been able to ease the weight my heart and spirit feels after spending time out here and I suspect that many of you will also carry this weight as well...and I believe we are blessed beyond measure for such
I've enjoyed walking with you and can recount moments that will be held by me as uniquely special...I am very proud of all of you and am humbled in your midst
blessings
rr